TUC survey findings highlight the labour market disadvantage of black and Asian workers in terms of pay and employment contract.
Black and Asian workers have been disproportionately affected by the growth in part-time, insecure and low-paid employment (164 KB PDF), according to a report published in April 2015 by the TUC to mark the beginning of the TUC annual Black Workers’ Conference.
The research found that number of black and Asian workers in low-paid jobs increased by 13% between 2011 and 2014, compared to an increase of 2% among white workers. In 2014, 38% of black and Asian workers worked in low-paid industries, such as cleaning, care work and catering, compared to 30% of white workers.
Black and Asian workers are also increasingly stuck in temporary work because they cannot find a permanent job, the percentage increasing by 20% between 2011 and 2014; the percentage of white workers in this situation fell by 8% over the same period. The TUC says that black and Asian workers on temporary contracts typically earn £30 a week less than white workers in the same situation and nearly £200 a week less than employees on permanent contracts.